The Cracking Cuckoo
by Winslow Fisherman
Summary: Inspector Carmelita Fox took in Sly for killing his two best friends. However, she has no idea what happened, but don't worry dear reader because i'm going to show you what happened. I present for any one that reads this, the tale of: The Cracking Cuckoo.
1. Prologue: After It Happened

Disclaimer: I do not own Sly Cooper.

Prologue: After It Happened

**April 2****nd****, 2014**

** 7: 16 p.m.**

** Location: Intensive ward for Noumarie Health Care Center**

"Stare, that's all he does and why? I really can't tell you Inspector Fox," says Dr. Manchester; head psychiatrist of the Noumarie Health Care Center.

"You should've seen it doctor," replies the vixen cop, "His friends are just lying in a pool of their own blood. And what's he doing? He's kneeling in it; screaming one word over and over again."

"Jesus, what do you suppose happened to Mr. Cooper?"

Carmelita looks at Sly's doctor, and lets out a heavy sigh. "Well, I'm going back to my office and hopefully you can get him to come round."

"Cuckoo-cuckoo. Cuckoo-cuckoo," the raccoon says within seconds of Ms. Fox's words.

"That's new, is that the word?" the doctor asks while writing something down on his little note pad.

"Yes, and why does he do it? I really can't tell you because I didn't show up until much later…"


	2. Flash Back To The Beginning

Flashing Back To The Beginning

**April 2****nd****, 2014**

** 1:30 p.m.**

** Location: Sly Cooper hideout.**

The master thief walks in, swinging the keychain that holds their ticket to stopping their next big target; Leonard R. Layman. Bentley swings around and smiles. Murray on the other hand lies back in his chair, fast asleep.

"Nothing to it Bentley; how's the plans for the full infiltration coming along?" Sly asks.

"I've got them complete, only there's one extra task I've got especially for you," replies the turtle.

"What's that?"

"Well, while you've been gathering things we'll need, I've been talking to a thief on the net that's willing to pay big bucks for a cuckoo clock that Leonardo has hidden in the safe with the money he stole."

"Interesting, how much is the thief willing to pay?"

"Get this, one million dollars."

The master thief breaks out laughing, which wakes the sleeping hippo from his slumber and look around wildly. "One million dollars for a cuckoo clock?"

"He says its really special and he'd like to add it to a collection of his."

"Where did you find this goof ball?"

"I didn't find him, he found me while I was shopping on the net. I did some Q/A with him and he's being serious. So while you get back all the money Leonardo stole, grab that clock as well."

"Alright, shouldn't be too big of a challenge," Sly stuffs the keychain in his pocket and takes his seat in his hideout. "Let's get this mission underway then…"


	3. Leonardo

Leonardo

**April 2****nd****, 1014**

** 2:00 p.m.**

** Location: The main office of Leonardo R. Layman**

Open the air vent-cover and fall onto the ground with grace; that's Sly's second to last task while his friends keep all of the villain's henchmen busy. He moves to the safe, clicking it till it snaps.

"Now, lets see you little treasures get into good hands," says the raccoon and as he opens he finds that only a small moneybag is inside. "Where's the clock?"

"What do you think the cuckoo bird is saying when it says that word we all know to well, Mr. Cooper?" inquires a strange voice from behind Sly.

The master thief turns around and sees the criminal; his heart races as he looks to see the bodies of his personal guards lying dead and Leonardo kneeling in their blood. A gun lies loosely in Layman's hand and Sly sees he's staring at the cuckoo clock on the wooden table the fiend bought with his own money for his office.

Leonardo snaps his head to the raccoon; his eyes are a crimson red with a fire the master thief has never seen in any villain before. "Answer the question!"

"Whoa, calm down there," Sly says walking slowly to this rabid animal with his cane at the ready in case a battle goes down. "Its just a clock pal…"

Layman bursts out laughing as if he's on acid. "Just a clock? No, this piece, its more than that," Leonardo turns his head back to the item and smiles. "This clock, this cuckoo clock is a god. It hates me, despise me, but gives me power to destroy all that I touch and the only thing left to kill before its eyes is one being," the owner of the gun rises it to the side of his head. "Then it'll finally let me rest in peace."

_Click_; the weapon is ready to fire. Sly rushes forward screaming his only words that the mad soul will hear.

"Stop!"


	4. The Cracking of The Cuckoo Begins

**April 2****nd****, 2014**

**2:30 p.m.**

**Location: Sly Cooper Hideout**

"I can't believe it," says Bentley, and he looks at Sly who's still shaking from what he saw Layman do. "Leonardo, shot himself? But why would he do something like that?"

The master thief finally pulls himself together; he takes a drink of coffee to aid him in giving a response. "He said he killed his own men because of the cuckoo clock, or at least that's what I interpreted and that's why he did himself in."

"Sly, don't you think that's a little "cuckoo"?" Murray jokes, but a glare from his friends make him snuff his chuckles. "Anyway, how can a clock cause any harm?"

Everyone looks back and there it sits on the table with the money they took; the cuckoo clock that has the raccoon's soul in deep shivers. Slowly onto his feet Sly goes and he moves as if being careful not to attract attention from a sleeping dog. On his knees, he stares at it and sees its hands move to 2:35.

_Pop_; out comes the little bird and the raccoon falls onto his back. "Cuckoo-cuckoo," it says in a low tone and goes back into its little home in the clock.

"Sly, are you ok?" the turtle asks, and when there's no response, Bentley's anxiety rises.

"No, it-it just surprised me, that's all," the master thief, replies quietly.

"Why don't we get something to eat?" Murray suggests, and as soon as he says it; his tummy growls.

"Come on Sly let's grab a little bite, nothing big because dinner should be coming up before you know it," the turtle calls out to a Sly that's still frozen, yet his raccoon friend turns his head and gives a simple nod that he acknowledges the idea.

"Go on ahead," says the master thief, "I'll join you in just a minute," Sly watches his friends begin to leave and he looks back at the clock. "Do you really know that? Do you really know that cuckoo clock?"


	5. Something's Up With Sly

Something's Up With Sly

**April 2****nd**

**3:14 p.m.**

**Location: Sly Cooper hideout**

"I'm worried Murray, I've never seen Sly like this before," says the turtle, he looks with the pink hippo at a raccoon that's been staring at the cuckoo clock ever since the bird made another appearance at 3:00 p.m.

_Pop_; out comes the little bird again at 3:15 p.m. "Cuckoo-cuckoo," it's done another song and now back in it goes, but Sly hasn't left its sight. However, both friends of the master thief look to see him moving his mouth at it, yet they can't hear him; he's speaking too soft to it.

"Why do you think he's behaving like this Bentley?" Murray asks and he does a big gulp.

"We've got to get him away from that clock, but we must do it in a way we don't make him think it has anything to do with that-" Bentley stops, for he sees Sly get up and walk over to the table where the two friends have been watching him.

"Hey guys, I think for dinner we should do Italian, what do you think?" Sly asks, which makes both shake their heads in confusion. "Ok, what about Chinese?"

"Sly? Are you ok?" Bentley replies as he rubs his head out of bewilderment.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he leans in close to his friend's face, "Why wouldn't I be?" he growls, the raccoon's face is nastier than anything the turtle has ever seen. "So what do you think we should eat for dinner?"

Bentley gulps as Sly licks his lips like a starving carnivore that's on the prowl for anything that's easy to catch. "Um, how about we just go to a café?"

Sly moves his head back, and smiles. "Great idea Bentley; lets go and eat at the best café in town. It'll be on me, what do you say guys?" the master thief's face changes to mean again, and each friend just nods in agreement to Sly's suggestion, which makes the raccoon change to a happier look. "Great, why don't you guys go and get in the car. I'll be there in just a second, I have just one quick thing to take care of."

The other two musketeers leave their third behind to warp up his little issue, which in this case would be the cuckoo clock. Sly walks over to it, and begins to search for a place to hide it from all those that wish to take it from him. Finally he finds it; an old toy chest from his childhood days and as he places it inside the storage item, he realizes his friends will still find it with ease. Sadly, in his little hideout, it's hard to hide something that one loves deep in their heart.

_Pop_, the little bird comes out at 3:20 p.m., yet its song is hard to hear with being in the toy chest. "Cuckoo-cuckoo."

"I know, I know," Sly whispers fiercely, and he stuffs it in the only place he can think of, the closet. "They're onto us, they're onto you. They're going to tear us apart best they can, but they will not," Sly begins to chuckle, he grabs some sheets and other boxes from the highest shelf in the small space spot. After placing them carefully on the toy chest he sighs, feeling it's the best for now and that he'll have to find a better place for it later. "You know so much about me, so much my friends don't even know. You truly must be a god cuckoo clock."

_Beep_; a car horn makes Sly whip around with his cane ready to defend his material friend, but he quickly comes to know its only Bentley from outside in the car. He outside and sees his pal wave his hand in the air.

"Come on Sly! Are we going to eat, or is there something else you want to do?" Bentley screams.

"Yeah, I'm coming right now!" the master thief hollers, and as he takes a step forward, he whips around to the closet seeing it isn't shut. "Well, I better shut this first and then its time for a nice meal with my amigos…"


	6. A Different Sly

A Different Sly

**April 2****nd**

**5:15 p.m.**

**Location: Sly Cooper hideout**

A game of black jack; it helps pass the time till night comes. However, this game will become the last for all that live in this little hideaway.

"Sly? You've got a thirteen. Are you going to hit, or stay?" Bentley asks, Sly has been staring at his tenth hand for a long time; he's waiting for the cuckoo clock's next chime. "Sly?"

The raccoon looks up; his eyes are bloodshot. "What? Oh, yeah. Go ahead and hit me."

Murray looks at Bentley, and both nod to finally take care of the problem. Bentley places the card from the dealers deck onto Sly's hand; a 7 of hearts, the master thief is still in the game.

"Hey Sly; did Leonardo's death upset you at all?" the turtle asks casually, as Sly looks at his new number for black jack.

The master thief snaps his head up quickly. "What? No! That guy was an idiot! He shot himself for crying out loud! Why are you asking such a stupid question?"

"You staying, or want me to hit you?" Bentley replies calmly as if he never spoke.

The raccoon gets up quickly; his chair goes falling onto its back. Anger is coursing throughout his body, and he grips his cane tightly. "You're the one that's probably upset! I don't care if he's dead, or anything!"

"Sly, Bentley just asked you if you wanted a hit, or stay?" Murray says, which gives him no more than eyes from a crazy guy. "Sly, you need to calm down and play to get your mind off the death of the guy."

The master thief goes over to the table where the cuckoo clock had originally been from the start. "That clock, it knows everything about me! It knows me better than I know myself!" the raccoon whips his head back and snarls. "You call yourselves friends? You are nothing more than blood sucking leeches! Taking credit for the dream that I had originally started for myself!"

"Sly, I'm just asking you if you want me to hit you, or stay?" Bentley screams, but the words are useless.

"How about this shell boy! You want to stay with me? Or do you want me to hit you to the point of death?"

_Pop_, its 5:20, so out comes the bird with another little song. "Cuckoo-cuckoo."

"Die You Leeches!" screams the master thief, his eyes are just like Leonardo's and in the night in the loving city of Paris; terrifying cries ring out thanks to a lost soul…


	7. Epilogue: Inspector Carmelita Fox

Epilogue: Inspector Carmelita Fox

**April 2****nd****, 2014**

**7:22 p.m.**

**Location: Office of Inspector Carmelita Fox**

Inspector Fox stares at her computer screen; the report she has to write on Sly Cooper and his gang has to be one of the most painful papers she's ever had. Grabbing her coffee cup she takes a sip and looks at the word document.

"I don't get it, why did Sly kill his own team members?" she whispers quietly, and looks to her right at one of the items from the crime scene in an evidence bag; the cuckoo clock from the Sly Cooper Hideout. "I arrive at 7:00 p.m. and this is what I find with Sly while he's…"

Carmelita can't say it; she's too shaken up from what she saw. She has no knowledge of the events that lead to where she is now, but…

_Pop_, the little bird in the clock shoots out to sing a song for the hard working officer of the law at 7:25 p.m. that all have heard before her. "Carmelita, Carmelita."

Inspector Fox whips around, and sees it go back in. "Do you really know that? Do you really know know my name cuckoo clock?" She shuts off her computer, which isn't good because she lost all the work and will have to start over unless…


End file.
